Polymers In Food Packaging

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Food packaging plays an important role in the food Industry. Packaging preserves food and protects it from distribution hazards. Polymers serve as a key role in this process. Their mechanical strength, cost efficiency, and ease of manufacturing make polymers a good packaging product. However, past reviews have recently surfaced many issues with the packaging polymers currently used in the industry. These issues can lead to the leaching of toxic chemicals, the environmental impact on packaging polymers, and economic impact of the industry.

According to a recent study, the packaging industry contributes significantly to the economy. The United States has a large $561 billion food packaging industry. Of this money, almost 15% is spent on the food packaging itself. Food packaging not only helps in transporting food in the safest environment by protecting it from harmful bacteria, contamination, and degradation.

Some of the most common plastics used by the food packaging industry are:

  1. 1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
  2. 2. High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
  3. 3. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
  4. 4. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
  5. 5. Polypropylene (PP)
  6. 6. Polystyrene (PS)

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